Our Giving Philosophy
The Faith First House of Hope promotes and encourages all of its members to be free-will tithers. We believe the idea of being a free-will tither is supported by scripture in God’s Holy Word. The idea of free-will is based on the New Testament scripture 2 Corinthians 9:6-7. This scripture encourages believers to give to God as God has given to them personally. These verses teach us that we should not give under compulsion, out of obligation or with a spirit of regret.
Rather we should give with a heart of thanksgiving and joyfulness. We believe that giving is not an issue of money; instead, we realize that giving is an issue of FAITH (Malachi 3:10) and of the HEART (Matthew 6:21).
There are four characteristics that describe the heart of a giver:
- The heart of a giver recognizes God’s grace. (2 Corinthians 8:1-3)
- The heart of a giver is full of love. (2 Corinthians 8:7-8, John 3:16)
- The heart of a giver is willing. (2 Corinthians 9:7)
- The heart of a giver is full of cheer. (2 Corinthians 9:7)
The Faith First House of Hope does not mandate an amount that each member should give. However, there are some principles in scripture that should be considered when determining how much to give.
Those principles are as follows:
- Seek God regarding the amount. (2 Corinthians 8:5)
- The tithe is only the beginning. (Malachi 3:8-10)
- The financial gift should be a sacrifice. (2 Corinthians 8:1-3)
- The financial gift should be generous. (2 Corinthians 8:1-3)
At the Faith First House of Hope we believe that giving is an act of worship.